Laser devices may be used within mobile communication devices as smartphones for sensing applications. Such sensing applications may be time of flight measurements for distance detection, camera autofocus, 3-D imaging of a scene or a gesture based user interface. Eye safety of such laser devices may be a major issue for broad acceptance of such sensing applications.
US 2013/0266326 A1 discloses a multibeam optoelectronic device, referred to as a VCSEL array device, which has high power and a high frequency response and various microlens structures that may be formed thereon, as well as various methods for utilization of the same. The VCSEL array device is a monolithic array of VCSELs comprised of two or more VCSELs and an array of short-circuited mesa devices. The VCSELs of the VCSEL array can be spaced symmetrically or asymmetrically, spaced according to a mathematical function for improving a power or speed characteristic, or positioned for phase relationships next to each other in an electrically parallel circuit. The VCSELs of the VCSEL array are electrically connected to a first metal contact pad formed on a heat-spreading substrate or carrier.
US 2002/0075911 A1 discloses a diffractive optical arrangement (DOA) that is configured to diffract a portion of an input beam of every vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) in a parallel channel optical array, so that all of the VCSELs can be monitored simultaneously. For every channel in the array, there is a detector for monitoring the optical power output of the associated VCSEL and a feedback system for adjusting the input current. The DOA comprises a collimating beam input region on one side, a beam output region on the opposite side, and a detection output region. The DOA is configured to pass a first portion of a beam from the collimating beam input region to the beam output region for data transmissions and to diffract a second portion from the collimating beam input region to the detection output region for monitoring. The collimating beam input region includes a diffractive feature, which may be that of a computer generated hologram (CGH) or may be a grating.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,618,414 B1 discloses a vertical cavity laser which includes an optical cavity adjacent to a first mirror, the optical cavity having a semiconductor portion and a dielectric spacer layer. A dielectric DBR is deposited adjacent to the dielectric spacer layer. The interface between the semiconductor portion of the optical cavity and the dielectric spacer layer is advantageously located at or near a null in the optical standing wave intensity pattern of the vertical cavity laser to reduce the losses or scattering associated with that interface.